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I worked on such a project. On the first pass our US counterparts could not make their half work (too much time spent on processes), while ours (too much time spent on design and coding) was in a reasonable state. So the company in its wisdom (ably assisted by a team of 'consultants') decided to outsource the US team's part to India. Just a few months before we were supposed to be ready for market our brilliant (sic) management realised that our outsource company was nowhere near ready. So another major project flushed straight down the toilet.

During that time, though, I would be surprised if everyone wasn't applying for new positions elsewhere -- and taking them, if offered. So the (let's be overly generous, and call it a PoC) loss was probably less than the hit taken from knowledge walking out of the door.

While us developers can work at home easily enough, what about our phone support people? I'm assuming that's not a problem, but we probably ought to make sure everyone has laptops and the proper software installed.

Do we want to start logging who our support staff is going to visit on site and who they have visited, particularly as different counties and their municipalities start to get affected more and more.

I work in a small company in Dutchess County NY, so this is not a big deal to put into place, but still, geez...as the subject line says.

Not as though you don't know these things but life is full of these "I never thought it would happen to me" and variations on the theme. In this case, the happening, at present, is living in a world where an epidemic is likely and fatalities will not be few.

Regardless of one's political leanings, the pendulum swings where one would rather it didn't go. Wars happen and people you know might not come back. Drunks drive. Maniacs shoot strangers.

There's something about a disease that seems alien to the attitude given us by a somewhat pompous medical community - basically they're just guessing, or, in some cases, you hope are skilled mechanics doing repairs. When the bubble of the ability to conquer disease bursts (the methods are much slower than on TV - how unfortunate) our true vulnerability is revealed. It's uncomfortable to realize we cannot rely on the system to respond in the nick-of-time.

Indeed. Despite genuine healthcare advancements and fantastic medical capability, disease still often remains beyond the ability of our doctors to eliminate. Because most of us barely graze the edges of "real" illness, and those who suffer are either hidden away as a result of their afflictions, or worse succumb and we so quickly forget (or at least forget the cause of their loss), there's a tendency to think that illness is a minor irritation. Or that our doctors will prescribe a pill or two, or a minor surgical procedure, and all will be well. Symptoms can often be suppressed and even those of us with health conditions can forget the seriousness of what's wrong, or potentially wrong. We're all susceptible, and the current fear and upset is partly about recognising our frailty, as well as the current threat from Coronavirus.